Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes: My Ridiculous Month and My Big News

Gertrude's Nose, New Paltz, NY - Photo credit: Herb Chong

Big changes are afoot in my life, and thus in the life of this blog. April showers bring May flowers, and hopefully that's true metaphorically and not just literally, because I sure am overwhelmed right now. First came Passover and then came the preparations for the biggest change in my life in a good long time:

Gluten-Free By The Bay is moving to New York !

On April 29th I will hop on a plane to New York. After 10 years away I'm returning to the town where I was raised, in the beautiful Hudson Valley. I will be temporarily staying with my folks while I get my feet on the ground in New York. My body is the main reason for this move - I have several chronic pain conditions which have been worsening from me working so much. This move will open many doors for me, including the possibility of working less and of going back to school. I will, G-d willing, be transitioning out of this life as a frazzled, financially stressed, overworked city-dwelling cook, to something healthier, happier and more sustainable. I'll miss the Bay Area like crazy - It's been my home for over 6 years. But I have a strong feeling that I'm making the right move.

So what's to come for Gluten-Free By The Bay? Well, I will certainly be preoccupied with things besides cooking and blogging for the next few weeks! Moving is a pain in the tush. But stick around, because I will post as often as I can and I'll be back in full force in May, with the following changes:

A bigger and better equipped kitchen.

A new computer with more reliable internet access (maybe my first Mac!)

Better photos, thanks to being able to cook and take photos during the day when there is natural light available.

More time to devote to more labor-intensive recipes, though I will always keep the focus on simple recipes that are manageable for busy, working people

More heart healthy recipes. I just learned that my triglycerides are high, and I will be cooking sometimes for my father who has very high cholesterol that he is successfully managing through diet, exercise, and nutritional supplements. So, you will be seeing many more low-cholesterol and lower fat dishes 'round these parts.

A focus on eating locally and seasonally

A happier, more relaxed blogger... which is a very good thing indeed.

As of right now I'm undecided about whether or not I need to rename my blog to reflect my new location, and possibly move it to a new URL. What are your thoughts? I fear this could cause me to lose much of my web traffic. I will make these decisions once I get to New York, since I have my hands full right now... so for the time being keep it tuned to the same station!

28 comments:

You could keep the name "For Historical Purposes" You started the Blog By The Bay. Teh Bay is part of who you are now, and will always be part of the blog, even if you re-named it. You are free to change it, of course, but I don't think you should feel obligated to.

Hi and welcome back to the Hudson Valley. We're way up in Saratoga County where you can walk across the Hudson in five minutes when it's iced over in the winter, but if you're ever in the neighborhood, stop by our bookshop, Old Saratoga Books in Schuylerville and we'll can yak it up gluten-free!

Please don't change your blog name! If you're in the Hudson Valley, there are plenty of bays: Tappan Zee, Haverstraw and Newburgh Bay and, well, my memory fails. (Wikipedia has a list of Bays of New York.)

The SF Bay area will miss you, but New York will be a brighter place for those of us here! Prospective welcome, from a long-time reader.

Cnogratulations! I think you shoudl keep the name and just make some kind of fun graphic at the top Gluten Free by the "carrot" Hudson Bay, like you had once suggested! And like everyone else is saying!

Beautifull post! I hope it all goes well. Please post about how it all goes. I'm in the early stages of the same process, for the same reason. My life is way too crazy, and I need to ease off and live the quiet life, for my peace of mind and my health!

I was born in NY, grew up near The Bay (Palo Alto) and have lived in Oregon 35 yrs. I agree with most...keep the name we've all come to love and cherish. Newcomers can poke around for what bay refers to...or not. Best of good moving luck. May God (why not just spell it out :-)) assist in many ways, and may your changing life be as positive as the blessings you have brought to others.

Good luck with the move. I say keep the name and simply change your profile to explain that you names it when you lived by the bay...kind of a twist on "by the by"...We'll be in the same state and many New Yorkers blog about all the GF dining places, so it looks like you'll be in for some great dining out experiences. HUGS

Congrats on your move! My family moved 8 years ago from New Mexico to Washington State to slow down, but the slowing was only temporary. I am just as over-scheduled now, or maybe even more. Hopefully you can make the slow-down a permanent feature for you.

My vote is to keep your name. (I have you bookmarked here!) As has been pointed out, there are bays everywhere on our coasts. I live on a bay, too, and I'm not near SF!

Keep your name - it is who you are. I agree with everyone who said that there are bays in NY - just change your profile to reflect the change. You've worked so hard to create this identity - I say keep it! Good luck with the move - stay in touch, we're only a hop, skip, and a jump from NY.

I'm going to break with the crowd here. I think Gluten Free by the Hudson sounds just fine! Of course, being from upstate myself, I am mildly biased. Best of luck to you out in the great white north. I'm looking forward to your exploits.